davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03


between the general and Washington. Nc
Clellan demanded always more troops, and
the president and his cabinet refused to let
Washington be denuded. McDowell's corps,
which had remained at Washington, was to
follow and join the army of the Potomac.
But the president did not consider that Gen.
Mcclellan had kept his agreement to leave
Washington sufficiently protected, and re-
fused to allow Mcdowell to move. This
added to McClellan's irritation and mac
ton.
For quite six days Mcclellan had lain on
the Warwick with force several times
larger than his enemy. After that it was too
late to force the Confederate line. April 10
Gen. d. H. Hill arrived with re-enforcements
to the Confederates, and April IA Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston himself came and took command
in place of Magruder
April 10 Mcclellan writes that if Franklin's
and McCall's divisions of McDowell's corps
could be sent him that be would at once at
tack Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown,
take it and storm Yorktown from the rear
and in front by land. Franklin's division
was sent tardily and did not arrive at York
town until April 20. "a few days" after that
Mcclellan made reconnaissance of Glouces-
ter Point.
Plenty of time was taken for preparation.
1t was going to be a siege ON a magnificent
plan. Scaling ladders were made and by
the Sd OF May everything was NEARLY
ready.
May came, and loi the Confederates
had evacuated Yorktown. The scientific
siege of Yorktown had come to naught The
Confederates had delayed the Federal army
month in the swamp trenches along the War
wick line. This gave the Confederates time
to recruit, organize and drill re-enforcements,
till q formidable army was got together
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03
the PENINSULA llls
From Fortress Monroe to Fair
VII Oaks battle-ground. y !
GEN. GEORGE B, MCCLELLAN.
The People Hailed Him Us tho "Young
}N\A Napolcon."1 s-,.,

A State of Chronic Nervousness About the
Safety of Washington Prevented Mo.
Clellan from Being Supported as He
Wishcd-Tho Second Siege Of York
town-Worlsing Slowly and Painfully
Up tho Peninsula Toward Richmond-
In the Swamps-The ChickahOminy.
During the winter oflSG3 London Punch re-
marked that the American civil war was the
Civilest it ever heard Of.
In the summer OF 1861 the north had been
crying for a leader Popular demand was
satisfied by the appointment of Maj. Gen.
George Brinton Mcclellan to be commander
in chief, first of the army Of the Potomac,
then Of the armies of the whole United States.
The first promotion came July ~, tho second
Nov. /, 1861.
Itwas not till the next spring, 1869, how
ever, that any fighting was done by the army
of the Potomac The quarter centennial time
of that fighting has come. It finds most of
the leaders on both sides gone from the scene
Of all earthly strife
Mcclellan was not only West Pointer, but
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

zen. johnston was GEN. G. W. SMITH,
seriously wounded, and the command
devolved on Gustavus W. Smith. He
also was wounded but even that did not stop
the fight About dark, Sumner ordered
bayonet charge of five regiments, which broke
the Confederate line, and the fight was ended
for May 81.
Richardson's brigade and the artillery had
been mired in the mud, but they came up
during the night. Next morning, June l, at
8 O'Clock, the Confederates made another at
tack. Richardson commanded on the Fed
eral side, and was on the lookout. There
was an indecisive fight Of several hours Gen.
-. o. Howard lost his arm here, and Gen.
Thomas F. Meagher, the patriot, fought
valiantly with his Irish brigade. On the
Confederate side Gems. Roger A. Pryor and
Malone, afterward United States senator
from Virginia, commanded the Confederates.
Gen. Lee and President jefferson Davis rode
out in carriage to see the fight from Rich
mond of May 81.
June l the Confederate army, with its
stores and ammunition, was being removed to
Richmond all day. Toward evening the Con-
federates under Pryor went there too That
was the last of the Fair Oaks fighting. Each
side lost some 1000. 1t was bloody fight.
In the morning of June Hooker made al
reconnaissance toward Richmond He ap-
preached it within four miles and reported
that only few pickets could be seen. III
seemed good time to march on Richmond, !
but the commander in chief ordered Hooker|
back and began anew around Fair Oaks thu
throwing To OF ea,shwork intrenchments.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03
HANOVER COURT HOUSE.

Between McDowell's front at Fredericks-
burg and McClellan's right before Richmond
there was a force of $4,000 Confederates.
They were Anderson's and Branch's brigades
and part of Ssuarts cavalry. Branch's
brigade was at Hanover Court House, four
teen miles north of Richmond. To clear
these $4,000 away, to destroy the bridges over
the South Anna and the Pamunkey, which
would keep the Confederates from getting in
the rear of the Union army from the right,
and to cut the railroad from Richmond to
Northern Virginia, Fitz John Porter was sent
with 1900 men. May "a, in heavy rain,
the battle of Hanover Court House was
fought, and Porter routed the Confed-
crates. Bridges We're destroyed according TO
the plan, which was in other respects carried
cut, except that the railroad from Richmc-e
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

lIlnCOln anu tue
cabinet did their best to satisfy him. BY the
last of October Mcclellan had well equipped
army OF 134,2S5 men, his effective force,
ready for fighting. There was an aggregate
Of l6S,31S The people expected the Young
Napoleon to fight. He talked about striking
an effective blow and making ''short,
sharp, decisive" campaign, which should finish
the war. Opposed to him at Centreville and
Manassas was Confederate force Of $4,000
effective men,
President Lincoln was exceedingly anxious
that the favorite general should strike the
grand blow he had promised. "If something
is not done soon," said Lincoln, "the bottom
will fall out of everything"
Mcclellan announced that the "crushing
defeat OF the rebel army at Manassas" was
his object, and that an advance against it
SHOULD not be postponed beyond Nov. 49,"
That date came and went, the year 1861 faded
out and 1862 was ushered in, and still no
great blow was struck In February, in
letter to President Lincoln, the general says:
II have ever regarded our true policy as
being that of fully preparing ourselves"
February passed and still no "blow," ex-
cept of the kind which one meets upon paper.
By March the people Of the United States
had run upa debt Of S6O0, 900, 900 in equipping
and preparing armies, chiefly that of the Po-
tomac
In the months Of inaction, too, with the vast
and constantly increasing army lying idle at
Washington, the Confederates had actually
blocked the Potomac by planting batteries on
the Virginia side of the Potomac some twenty
five miles belowW Washington. Press and people
were bowling for something to be done, and
President Liheoln was well nigh distracted.
Gen. Mcclellan for some time refused even
to communicate his plan of campaign to Mr..
Lincoln Once the anxious president called
on the general, who sent back word that he
was i'll and could not see him. But next day
Mcclellan was dressed and out riding. To all
attempts to urge him forward he replied that
he was not ready.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

FAIR OAKS BATTLE GROUND.
Casey was pressed backward to Fair Oaks
station with re-enforcements that had been
sent him by Reyes. There was deadly fight
ing around Fair Oaks At the same time
there was desperate contest about Seven
Pines, and Peck's brigade of Federal troops
was forced back. Confederates swarmed in
in on the Union right, left and center.
COUGHS left was turned, and his division cut
in two, and Kearney, who had endeavored to
save the left, was driven back.
Gen. Sumner alone saved the part of tho
army south of the Chickahominy from ami
hilation. He had ordered bridge built on
his front across the Chickahofhiny several
days before. This was the famous Grape
vine bridge. There were only two bridges
besides this by which the Federal troops
might cross the Chickahoniny. These were
Bottoms bridge and the railway bridge.
At ESQ o'clock Mcclellan ordered Sumner
to cross the river to the aid of Keyes and
Heintzelman. The fact that the Grapevine
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

twenty miles from
Washington oppos-
cd to an army three
times as large for
months.
March 8 Gen.
Joseph E. Johnston
detected indica-
tions of unusual
activity in a part
of the Federal
camp" s Witty
and silently there
upon he moved to
the south bank OF
the Rappahannock,
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03
THE WAR IN VIRGINIA.

Turn now to your map, run your finger
down the Chesapeake bay, and stop at that
portion of Virginia between the James and
the York rivers, Run your eye up that, and
you will see that it is long tongue of land
formed by those two rivers, and lying north
west and southeast That is "the Peninsula"
and there is where McClellan's battles were
fought. Well up toward the upper end lies
Richmond, the objective point of the army Of
the Potomac. Slightly to the north of Rich
mond you will notice long, crooked little
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

river, which flows
to the southeast,
then sud denly
takes a sharp turn
to the south and
e1npties into the
James. That is the
Chic q h m my,
where much fight
ing was done, but
where fevers and
malaria carried off
more men than all
the fighting in Vir-
ginia. Within its
pois on breeding
q wv mps lie the
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

naval vessels in his
campaign toward
Richmond. T b 2
first plan was a
combined land and
naval attack upon
Yorktown up the
York river from
Fortress Monroe.
But the navy could
not cooperate, as
the general UNDER
stood it should, and
Gen. Webb, in his
Peninsula G a M
paign," puts that
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

break, but his CHIEF
forbade it. Smith
felt sure the at
tempt would have
been successful, for
his men were in
fighting mood. He
declared the few
Vermont boys per-
formed more indi-
vidual acts Of he
roism than any 9TH
er troops he had
heard of.
There was con-
tinual pickering
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03


Confederate army
concentrated after
Bull Run. Beau
regard commander
1t up to the end OF
January, 1869.
Then he was sent
west, and Joseph z.
Johnston became
general in chief Of
the Con ederate
army Of the east.
Mcclellan called
for moro and more
recruits for h is
arm y. President
Al, n
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

bridge was already
built saved the day,
what there was left
of it. Su m II e r
crossed in haste
with Sedgwick's
and Richardson's
divisions and tool,
command. Line of
battle was formed
by Gen. Sedgwick
anew in the woods
near Fair Oaks,
and the battle ragged
even hotter than
before. Confederate
Gen Johnston was
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03
FAIR OAKS STATION.

FAIR OAKS STATION.
The Confederate army reiterated to Williams
burg, eleven miles further up the Peninsula.
Here the third line of the Confederate fortif-
cations crossed the Peninsula. Johnston's re-
treat was accomplished the night of May 3.
1t was before Yorktown that captive war bal
looms began to be used.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

had seen acCual ser.
vice in the Mexican
war. He was born
In Philadelphia in
1926. He was grad
uated from West
Point before he was
20 years old. The
most promisin
graduates Of West
Point are imnedi-
ately assigned to
the engineer corps
1T is the crack
corps Of the regu-
lar army. Young
Mcclellan was at
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

10 Fredericksburg was not cut. l"LAckine
that" wrote Lincoln TO Mcclellan, 1.-THE scrap
of the Virginia Central from Richmond TO
Hanover Junction u simply nothing"
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03
DAN WEBSTER.

DAN WEBSTER
Gen. Mcclellan rode from Yorktown to
Williamsburg, fourteen miles, upon his favor
lite war horse, Dan Webster. The generals
aides called him "Devil Dan," and he could
trot steady gait all day. Mcclellan never
parted with the faithful beast, but kept him
till Dan died. in 1879.
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

Warrington. For weeks tho Confederate
flag Aoated on Munsons Hill In plain sight Of
the marble dome Of the Capitol.
Centreville and Manassas, both far too close
to Washington, were the points at which the
The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-03

March 0 the Con 'ederats army evacuated
Centreville. Il had lain, with $4,000 mon,
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
STEAMER BURNED.
TWENTY PERSONS LOSE THEIR LIVES
IN THE FIRE.
The w. II. Gardner. "a Line Boat on the
Tombigbee River-The Wife aud tvo
Children of one of the Owners the
Nictims-Had Cargo of Nearly
800 Bales of Cotton.

MOBILE, Ala, March 1.-The steamer
w. II. Gardiner one of the largest boats
plying on the Tombigbee river from Mo
bile, was burned this afternoon, three
miles below Gainesville The boat is a to
tai loss with 464 bales of cotton. Ten
white and 10 colored persons lost their
lives as follows: White, 5 G. Backman,
julie Rembert and two children. Mrs. w.
f. Rembert and three children, Theodore
H. Graham, &. Rutes Coiored, John
Bryant, steward; Green jenkins, Henry
Ford, Hayward Hudson, f. Lindsey, VIr-
gil Jones, Amos Harris and three unknown
deck hands. Mrs. Rembert is the wife
of the clerk and part owner of the boat
and lived in Mobile. The remaining
whites were passengers living in the mp
per Tomblgbee district. No other de-
tails have been received. The Gardner was
built five years ago. She was owned by
f. 5. stone, 5. G. Coleman and w. i.
Rembert, and was valued at $25. 900. The
cotton was insured in local companies for
So, 900
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
THE RETALIATORY BILL.
Report from the Majority of the House
Conferees

WAsHGNGTON, March Mr. Belmont
of New York presented the conference re-
port on the fisheries retaliatory bill, an
nOuncing the disagreement Mr. Bel
mont sad it was matter of public noto-
riety tkat report had been made to the
Senate, IN which it was stated that the
differences upon this question were ire
concilable. The majority of the House
conterees regretted that the gentlemen
representing the other body should have
reached sucha conclusion. The House CON
ferees did not say the differences were
irreconcilable, but they had not felt at
liberty to disregard the expressed will of
the House, the cOntereeS believing that
the House had decided this to be nation
al question, not one to be settled by re-
taliatory policy which affected Canada
alone.
Mr.. Rice of Massachusetts said there
had been declaration made in the Senate
that the difference between the TWO
| houses were irreconcilabe The state
ment prepared by the majority of the
House conferees said that the Senate bill
excluded nothing but Canadian fish.
That was mistake. The bill authorized
the president to exclude all Canadian pro.
ducts from American markets. the House
Dill went Just step farther and author
lzed the president under certain conditions
to exclude rolling stock, locomotives and
railroad trains. That was where
the irreconcilable difference existed.
The question now presented was whether
the House, because it could not 90 to the
extreme, would stop and do nothing. He
called upon the members of the House to
rise above party considerations and take
action which would sustain the admins
tration in the manly and able position
that it had taken on this subject. He
moved that the House recede from its
amendments to the Senate bill Pending
action the House took a recess.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
QUESTION OF VERACITY
Is Riased Between TiIlman and Reed and
Long-Spicy Debate.

WAsHlNGToN, March l.-Mr. Trigg of
Virginia submitted the conference report
on bill compensating \. H. Emery for
the construction of an iron and steel ma
chine for the United States The bill AS il
passed the Senate appropriated 100000
This sum the House reduced to SOB 900.
The conference report fixes the amount at
100000.
Mr.. Tilman of South Carolina opposed
the bill denouncng the claim as fraudulent.
He said great friends of the claimant had
come to him and said if he would permit
the bill to 90 through appropriating $G3,-
600 the claimant would he satisfied 1t
WAS on that condition he had retrained
from further filiOusterng against the bill.
Those two men were Long of Massachu-
setts and Reed of Maine.
Il desire to state Interrupted Reed
walking down the aisle and facing Till
man. II never made any such agreement
with the gentleman form South Caro-
lima"
Then it is question of veracity" cried
Tillman.
Il never thought of such an agreement"
reiterated Reed. Now appealing to the
House whom do YOU believe ~
Did you not say YOU would use your in
tluence ~ persisted Tillmau.
mo" replied Reed emphatically.
1 say you ulu, tNcIdlinCu IlIlUldn.
And the gentleman Is as much mis-
taken about that as he is in his other phil
ipics" restored Reed. The fact is he is
wild on this subject"
While this colloquy was in progress
members of the House gathered
around the gentlemen. Several impromptu
but excited disputes arose among them up
on the merits of the case. Long stated he
had gone to the gentleman from South
Carolina, and urged him to allow the pas
sage of the bill. The gentleman had said
he would consent to the passage of a bill
approprlating 1900, if the applicant
would be content. lie Long) did not state
to the gentleman that il would be accepta
ble to the claimant. He had not such au-
thorty He may have conveyed the inn
preston that he GL0ng) would he glad to
have the matter settled at S63, 900, but he
had held no authority from the claimant.
Tillmau. Did you not say You would use
influence with him to make him accept it?
Long, am sure did not use my intlu-
ence, did say would be very glad TO
have him accept ii, rather than get moth
ing and there | stand to-day.
The conference reported was adopted
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
SIGNALS OF DISTRESS.


GLOUCESTER, Mass, March 2.-The
schooner Mabel kennistOn of this port ar
rived this afternoon, having in tow rhe
British schooner Blizzard of Lunenburg,
n ). The captain and crew of seven men
were taken off yesterday, From Capt.
William Baird of the Blizzard the follow
ing was learned: The vessel sailed from
Luneuburg Dec. 30, for Kingston, Ja-
maica. After rough passage of 20 days
she arrived at her destination, meeting
with few accidents. She discharged her
cargo and sailed tor Cienfuegos, sailing
from there February 10. Continuous gales
were met with and after crossing the gulf
the weather was very cold. The vessel
iced up badly which carried away the
gear, tearing the sails and springing both
masts so that no sails could be set.
The vessel labored so heavily as to cause
her to leak and the crew were kept
continually at the pump until they were
exhausted and badly frost bitten. She
took Il heavy easterly gale and ran under
Il storm trysail to within 20 miles of
ThatCher's island wnen heavy north
wester bloWed her back to Georges Their
provisions and water gave out and the
men were put on allowance. yesterday
morning they sighted the Mable kennis-
ton, when the crew refused TO work any
longer, and ordered signal of distress
hung The captain refused to abandon
the vessel, for The wind becoming tair he
thought he would try to get to Nova
Scotia, but the crew being so badly used
up they could not work. Signals OF dis
tress were set when the kenniston bore
down ana the crew were with great dlf-
ticulty taken of, after which Captain
Nelson put crew ON hoard TO bring the
Blizzard in. She is a fine vessel OF 332
tons, three years old, owned by Capt. j.
Wolfe OF Lunenburg, and is insured.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
Georgia on Wednesday afternoon, March
COLCHESTER.

The town at its annual meeting voted
to have its highways worked by street
commissioners the present year, and G.. H.
Mcbride, Frank Collins and Charles La
vigne were elected to that Office f.. b.
Andrews received 1l6 votes for county
commissioner, the whole number cast. t.....
Peter Fountain has just given bonds to
have the stone work Tor "Lamoille River
bridge completed by the 18th day of July
next, and it is expected that the iron
bridge across the river VIII be completed
and ready for use by August Is, 1887 1.....
There were Al marriages, 93 deaths and lGl
births in town this last year, 60 of the
deaths and l35 Of the births being in Wi
nooski village.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04
Mr.. Edperton AcCmsed.

FORT WAYNE, Ind, March "A very
sensational complaint, in which Alfred p.
Edgerton of this city, civil service COM
missioner, is charged with wrongfully ap-
propriatng $4,000 belonging to an old
lady at stamford, Conn, was filed IN the
Allen Circuit Court yesterday. She claims
that he is indebted To her in the above
sum for money received by him as admin
traitor of the estate Of Anna {. ketchum,
deceased, which money should lawfully
come 10 plaintiff.
Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-04

PORT JERvIs, March IN. NJ. Rose,
engineer of st. Louis express on the Erie
railroad, was struck by some machinery
of his locomotive last night near Deposit.
lie was found with his head leaning tor
ward on the boiler IN an unconscious con
dition by the fireman, who ran the train to
Deposit, where Rose was cared for. He il
still unconscious.